Nutcracker.



No. 768,062. v I PATENTED AUG.23,1904.

H. w. MATHER.

NUTGRAGKBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1903. N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR fi vu y WMQZM 7 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented August 23, 1904.

PATENT OFFIC NUTCRACKER-' SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,062, dated'August 23, 1904.

Application filed March 10, 1903.

to provide against crushing the kernel of the nut by a limitation of the travel of the movable jaw. The construction is simple and produces an'inexpensive implement.

In the drawings,which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, Figuresyl and 2 are similar side elevations of the device, the first showing the jaws open and the latter showing them closed or nearly closed. Fig. 3 is crosssection of the two jaws at their toothed portions, (at the point indicated by line 1: in Fig.

1,) showing the concavity orflute in the face of the jaw. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional detail, views, on a larger scale, showing the spring at the joint. Fig. 6 is a section at m in Fig. 1, showing the mounting of the cam-lever and cam.

1 is the fixed jaw of the nutcracker, and 2 is the movable jaw. These are hinged together at m and are provided with a spring 3 at the joint or hinge, which tends to throw the jaws open. The jaws turn about a screw or rivet I, and the spring occupies a recess 5 in the boss on the fixed jaw. The fixed jaw 1 has an L shape-that is, it has a branch '1, which is substantially at right anglesto its main portion, and this branch is recessed or slotted at 6 to receive and form a keeper for the free end of the jaw 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, where the branch 1 is broken away to show the construction.

In the forked or slotted end of the branch 1 is fulcr-umed an operating-lever 7, which fulcrum stud 9.

Serial No. 147,079. (No model.)

carries a cam 8 and turns about a screw or to Fig. 6 that the cam 8 forms an integral part of the lever 7, but is reduced in the thickness.

jaws, as indicated by the dotted lines at n in Fig. -1, and the lever 7 brought down, as in The nut to be cracked is placed between the It will be seen byreference jaws and crack the shell of "the nut; but the play of the jaw 2 is limited, and by properly placing the nut only the shell will be cracked, the kernel being left substantially uninjured.

The jaw 1 has been referred to as fixed; but this is only for convenience of description, as the jaws both move relatively to each other.

The jaws will be toothedwhere they grasp the nut, as seen at 10, and will also be concave or fluted longitudinally. at the point where the teeth are located, as seen in Fig. 3.

Obviously the screws 4 and 9 might be rivets. They are merely referred to as screws, as these are employed conveniently for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I

-claim' A nutcracker consisting of the following instrumentalities, namelyfa toothed and longitudinally-fluted jaw 1, having an upright branch 1 provided with arecessed keeper 6, a toothed and longitudinally fluted jaw 2, hinged to the jaw 1 at 00, a coil-spring 3 about the hinge-axis of the jaws and connected thereto at its respective ends, a lever 7 fulcrumed in the end of the branch 1 above the recess 6, and a cam 8 carried by said lever and adapted to bear on the jaw 2 at its end.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 28th day ofFebruary, 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. MATHER. 

